Chapter 11 The Scholar’s Wife
Therefore, this incident detonated the public opinion of the whole world, and there was a lot of discussions!
At home, Liu Fang also often heard the discussions between Madam Liu and her eldest brother. For the most part, they were still optimistic that the eldest princess would become the heir.
After all, no matter in terms of status, seniority, or talent and character, this eldest princess deserves to be the first among the princes and princesses!
Furthermore, the eighth prince⎯⎯Prince An and the eldest princess were very close, and the eighth prince has no idea of competing for the throne. Duke Liu Mansion still prefers the eldest princess who was both talented and virtuous to become the heir.
Most of these scholars have a good impression of the eldest princess. However, there were still some people who insist on the concept of man was more superior than women, and they will not think highly of the eldest princess as the emperor.
“In the end, it’s because the eldest princess is a woman. If she was born as a man, would you have any objections?”
A blue-clothed scholar looked at his classmates and said.
Everyone shook their heads, “Princess’s great talent is admired by us, but it’s a pity…”
The blue-clothed scholar sneered: “In this case, you just can’t stand the fact that the monarch you will serve in the future is a woman. Such a narrow-mindedness. Even if the eldest princess becomes the emperor in the future, I am not sure if she will be happy to put you in an important position.”
These remarks have offended scholars all over the world. Not only were all the scholars present stunned, but Liu Fang and other young ladies were also stunned.
Anhe rolled her eyes angrily, and said to Liu Fang, “I remember he was one of the candidates that mother favored, called Fang Cheng?”
Liu Fang nodded, “Un, that’s him.”
——Fang Cheng born in the 18th year of Emperor Jin and was seventeen years old. He lives in Wenjia Lane, the west side of the capital outer city, and was a native of the capital. His father died early, and he was raised by a widowed mother. Having a younger brother two years younger than him and a younger sister five years younger than him.
His family has a three-entry quadrangle in Wenjia Lane, the west side of the capital outer city, two hundred acres of farmland in the suburbs of the capital, two shops in the west of the capital outer city, and several servants.
He has a good character and was quite talented and famous. Have no concubine and he has never been married.——
Above was what was written on the list about Fang Cheng’s life history that Madam Liu showed to Liu Fang.
Liu Fang didn’t see the “good character” mentioned above, but it was true that his words were sharp.
Anhe said to Liu Fang: “Even if this person is talented, he is a man who acts in undue confidence of one’s own ability and looks down upon others, and is very ambitious. He is far from what you think. Not a good match.”
Liu Fang understood what she meant.
Whether this Fang Cheng said such a thing without thinking or deliberately. He was not a “good match” for her who wants to find someone with “fewer things”.
——It’s not that he was not worthy of her, but he was not suitable for her.
If the other party said such a thing without thinking, it proves that he was not worthy of the name of the scholar, he was just a reckless and impulsive idiot. If the other party said this on purpose, that proved he has some expectations for his career and also has some talent. He wanted to do something and even has wild ambitions to be conferred a rank of nobility and become a minister.
No matter which one it was, it was not suitable for Liu Fang.
The former will make her devastated, and the latter will make her live in calculations all the time, and it will be very tiring. It was not what she wants and desire.
Liu Fang smiled at Anhe, “Don’t worry, elder sister, I came to see them on purpose today, if there is no suitable one, I will not wrong myself.”
Anhe smiled and nodded when she heard this, “That’s right. “
The two of them whispered softly next to each other and no one heard what they said. The others were still listening with great interest as the scholars continued their discussion.
Although Fang Cheng’s words stunned everyone, some people still came out and retorted: “Brother Fang’s words are very serious. It’s not that I don’t want to serve under the female emperor in the future. In fact, there are also virtuous people among the princes. It’s not just the eldest princess.”
Fang Cheng sneered again, “Really? You meant the first prince?”
“Uh…” The man fall silent, unable to really say it was the first prince.
After all, anyone with eyes can see that the eldest prince was a rough man who can only charge forward in battle. The art of war, hehe, he really didn’t understand.
Back then, in the battle at the border in the third year of Emperor Wen, the eldest prince volunteered to lead the troops to the war. Within three days, he was trapped by the enemy and almost get caught becoming a prisoner of war.
If it wasn’t for the eldest princess who happened to be in the northwest and led troops to rescue him. Perhaps he would have become the first prince who was defeated and captured since the founding of the Great Jin Dynasty.
Anhe murmured to Liu Fang: “Well, this person is not good either. He actually took refuge in the eldest prince, that straw bag, his mind is not full of grass, right?”
[Chao bao (草包) It literally means a sack filled with straw. Sometimes it use in cusing. It means good-for-nothing; an ignorant person]
Liu Fang surpass her smile and gave Anhe a helpless look. “Seventeenth elder sister, what you said is too harsh.”
“Harsh? I think it’s the truth?”
Liu Fang: … Fine, it’s good if you’re happy!
At this time, another student said: “Even if the princes are indeed not comparable to the eldest princess, they are not all incompetent. At least, it is more than enough to become a Defending Ruler …”
[Shou cheng Zhi jun (守成之君). Shou cheng (守成) means to preserve the accomplishments of previous generations. Jun(君) mean monarch, ruler. So this means a monarch who maintains the achievements of predecessors]
Anhe covered her eyes and said to Liu Fang, “I can’t bear to see it, how can such a stupid thing be said in public?”
Liu Fang also shook her head. Let’s not mention whether this person’s words about the monarch have overstepped. Just said when those princes heard, she was afraid they were not necessarily happy.
At present, the Great Jin Dynasty only has two emperors. The former emperor was the founding emperor. Naturally, it can blow to the sky.
[Chu shang tian (吹上天) It means exaggerating the merits of somebody or something]
It can only be said that Emperor Wen was not a mediocre and inactive ruler. On the contrary, he was quite visionary, very thoughtful, and very bold.
No matter whether it was a man or a woman, no one was willing to criticize them for being mediocre and incompetent when they ascend to the supreme position, and the four words “Defending Ruler” were equivalent to the meaning of “mediocre and incompetent”.
——What kind of emperor will be called “Defending Ruler”?
——He didn’t do much during his reign, and didn’t make any big mistakes. He took over the throne and at the end of his life he passed it on.
Come to think of it, who would like to be judged like that?
Even if it was an ordinary person, a worker wants to be rated as an advanced, at least he has to be an excellent one. Who would fight for that “ordinary”?
So, what this person said was really stupid and has no level.
Liu Fang was really disappointed.
The two people who refuted Fang Cheng were all on the roster, so there’s no need to say who they are. Just saying that these two people said such mindless words, Liu Fang doesn’t need to look at other people.
Madam Liu was most optimistic about Fang Cheng, but she also said that this person was not in the pool.
So, Liu Fang felt that she really just came to play today, and everything she thought was in vain.
…………
The debate over there continues.
Fang Cheng looked at the man, shook his head and sighed: “When did the Great Jin Dynasty fall to the point where it only need a defending ruler? It’s a shame! It’s a shame!”
Everyone frowned. Zhang Ming couldn’t help it anymore, he said, “Brother Fang, you are wrong.”
Fang Cheng raised his eyebrows, “Oh? Is that so? Brother Zhang, I don’t know what’s wrong?”
Zhang Ming: “Everyone knows the talent and virtue of the eldest princess, so there is nothing to argue about. But to say, the princes are really useless, is not necessarily true. Isn’t it normal for everyone to have strengths and weaknesses? Besides, the matter regarding the crown prince is an important matter of the country, and it is not up to you and me to decide. The emperor also has his own decision. Even if the eldest princess is the crown prince one day, I will serve the court. The heart for the people of the world will not change. On the contrary, if one day, the crown prince is not the eldest princess, but another prince, will you and I change the original heart?”
Fang Cheng choked, speechless, but his expression looked ugly.
Zhang Ming didn’t seem to be able to see it, he still said unhurriedly, “Brother Fang, that’s the case. Then, what difference does it make if the eldest princess becomes the crown prince or not? Can you still choose the monarch you will serve?’
Really sharp words!
Anhe’s eyes lit up, and he said to Liu Fang, “This is amazing!”
Liu Fang: “Hehe, it’s amazing!”
Naturally, what he said was well-founded. The most important thing was that none of this group of people dared to say: ‘I want to choose my own master!’
Such thoughts will only be thought in their own minds and discussed in secret, and no one will shout out loudly in front of the crowd.
This was like Fang Cheng just now, he only seized the talent and virtue of the eldest princess to attack others; while Zhang Ming seized with ‘Only the monarch can choose them, and there is no such thing as them dictating the monarch and be picky’ to fight back.
Even if someone has a secret inclination, or even has a candidate for refuge. But now, no one will say it, and no one will dare to say it.
This Zhang Ming was very powerful and very smart. He found that the angle of the topic was getting more and more biased, from ordinary discussions to disputes of positions, which was incredible.
No matter how open the environment was, it was still a feudal society. In the era of the emperor’s reign, if there was an accident, everyone present will not survive.
Therefore, he intends to end the topic directly, his words were very sharp and merciless.
It’s just that he wanted to end the topic, but Fang Cheng didn’t want to. He intended to take this opportunity to become famous all over the world.
So he said from a different angle: “Brother Zhang is right. However, I feel that except for being a woman the eldest princess’s talent and virtue are already worthy of being a crown prince. The other princes are not incompetent, but there is still a gap in comparison. For the world and for the people, it is better for the eldest princess to be the crown prince, what does Brother Zhang think?”
Zhang Ming was really annoyed with him, and said lightly: “Even so. The matter of the crown prince is a very important matter. Of course, it is left to the consideration of the ministers in the court, and the decision is made by the emperor himself. Even if you and I respect the eldest princess, it is impossible to draw a conclusion on this?”
Fang Cheng sneered: “The world is the world, you and I. It’s just a discussion, isn’t it okay?”
Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, Anhe’s eyes lit up and she was excited, but Liu Fang frowned and was very worried: Is this kind of discussion really alright?
Yang An also frowned, looking at Fang Cheng and Zhang Ming’s expression that will not give up. Obviously planning to fight for a better place today.
He took a step forward and bowed to the two of them. Fang Cheng Zhang Ming took a look, and both of them calmed down and gave Yang An a salute.
Between the salute, the tension in the field was relieved.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts: After all, a rescue has come!
“I am Yang An, I’m not talented. I have a few words to talk about with the two brothers.”
Fang Cheng and Zhang Ming were embarrassed to continue arguing, so they nodded and said, “Please speak.”
Yang An nodded. Open his mouth slowly.
Anhe dragged Liu Fang and said, “Look, this guy is not bad, he’s good-looking! And as soon as he appeared on the stage, he stunned everyone! Awesome!”
Liu Fang’s eyebrow relaxed. She smile and didn’t speak, just look at what the other person said.
“Just now I heard the two brothers discussion, and they highly praised the talent and virtue of the eldest princess. So do I.”
